Plate IV. 



VANDA LOAVII. 





A stately-habited caulescent epiphyte, with thick scandcnt sterna, famished with numerous obliquely-obuise, stmp- 



ihapcd, droop>ng, firm, leathery, distichous leaves, imd very long, simple, pcnduloiu.Mabm.pil , flexuous, 



ualUrj spike, of showj dimorphous flowers, the two basal ones being quite dissimilar from the rest The 

 sepal, »,d petal* are usually lanceolate, ..adulated, and acute, grcenish-ycllow, almost covered by large, irre- 

 gular blotches of reddish-brown, but in the two ba«i Honors they are blunt., and more fleshy, nud of « 

 ttwny-ycllow. spotted Mth crimson dot* The Up h , 111(l i k . f . ovatei ail( , vr fleah ^i,,,,,,,,,,,,,. nml 

 horm.1 »< .,. On- point, and furnished with five lamella] on the disk. 



Varna >Um jIMk M** CWcfe 1847,289: H. Alb OmUImh, art Vaada, 2. ffltfMfti //,„ /ftofrt 



loot, t. 417. 



ItoAOTirau torn, /tticfienfa&JU., Xmia OrctiJatw, t 80. fetoitfetl IftyefiM, 1864, t. 5475. 



/ 



The opinion seems to be gaining ground that this species Aould be removed from the genus Void*, 

 under wh.ch it was originally described by Dr. Mndley, and transferred to Mm The affinity it bean 

 to the latter genus was not indeed overlooked by Dr. Lindley lumsolf, since he observe, .hat "in some 

 respects, capeciaHy in the minute, simple, unguiculate lip, saccate near .he point, and two-homed there, this 

 resemble, .he genus Jf a chumthe»-\teM« synonym of finm/lsm Since, however, with this knowledge 

 ... Ins possesston, our great and lamented orchidologist advisedly refrained from disturbing .he generic posi- 

 ..on to whtch the species had been originally assigned, and indeed held on opinion adverse lo it* removal from 

 .hence, we prefer to respect his decision, and therefore, for the present, at least, retain Ihe original name. 



This mosl extraordinary and exceedingly rare Orchid is a native of Borneo, where it grows in the 

 forests, on h,gh trees in very humid place., and whence il was originally sent by Mr. Hugh Low, after 

 whom , „ named. It is very dislinc. in growth from any other species of Tmda yet known, and is easily 

 dishngtushed by its dark-grcen foliage, thick Oeshy roots, and remarkably long drooping QowerHmikes 

 wind, attatn fro... si, ,o twelve feet in length. Our figure was taken from a very fine plan! in .he 

 ISroomtirld collection. 



The most remarkable feature of the plant is the dimorphism of .he Bowers-Chat is, the production of 

 two lands of (lower, on the same spike. This curio,, phenomenon is not accidental, since the pair of dis- 

 similar fiowers is met with at the base of every spike of blossom , neither doc it appear to be function,! 

 smee Professor Retchenbach, who has carefully examined fresh specimens, finds that in both forms the 

 organs are equally perfect tndeed, in a letter from .his learned botanist, alluding to our own experience 

 oa dm ,„,„«. ,n which he point, out that the same facto had been observed by Mr. Kramer, the gardener 

 u. Madame i emsoh, of Flotbeek Park, near Hamburg, it is remarked, thai - the basilar flowers fertilbed 

 by themselves, the others by themselves, .he basilar by the others, and the others bv the ba-ih,r-all «« 

 npe frtuts. eo thai Uiere is no sexual difference in the two kinds of flowers." 



This Vm* is a shy blooming plant, and generaUy grows four or five feel in height before commencing 

 o flower \\ e have, however, sec, smaller examples in blossom, and Mr. Veitch exhibited one in that o on - 

 d.t.on, about two feet in heigh,, several years since. The noble specimen in the collection of S. Ruck* 

 fcq ol * andsworth, bears numerous remarkably tine flower-spike, and has been growing for several years 



'" "" " ^ WhCT ° " b kCp ' " *• w,lnuM *- 0I > »~ l of * n^le and tropical appearance. It 



was imported by ^ I a.ul Co., ,,cnd years since, from Borneo, together with man, fine specimens 



winch perished dunng then- voyage-thia unfortunately seems to bo its common lot, so that it will probablv 



